I often hear executives reassure me that projects will get done because "we have an execution culture," or that customers will be well taken care of because "we have a culture where the customer comes first."
At the same time, culture is also one of the great rationalizations for
managerial shortcomings. Many times I've heard that a project was
delayed because "we don't make quick decisions around here," which is
the managerial equivalent of "the dog ate my homework."

But the problem with all of these statements — both positive and
negative — is that they don't really mean anything. Worse yet, they
can't be translated into any kind of action. At best these declarations
are vague generalizations; and at worst they are misleading stereotypes.
[...]Any management team can assess its culture by asking these kinds of simple questions across a range of organizational behaviors.
For example: To what extent do we reward individual vs. team results?
To what extent do we share information broadly or parcel it out
narrowly? To what extent do we encourage or discourage risk?

Asking these kinds of questions can smoke out the differences in
expectations that people have about the organization. Not everyone
experiences culture the same way, so a structured way to discuss those
differences can increase alignment and the ability to take collective
action. In practical terms, culture is not an intangible cloud that
hangs over a company, but an outcome of the way people behave on
multiple dimensions. Better understanding of these behavioral patterns —
and how each person experiences them — makes it possible to decide
whether to continue them or not.

The three simple questions sound like great questions to ask if you're inside the State Department in general, and the U.S. Foreign Service in particular. Great questions, not sure you'll find your answers.